Diarrhea: Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

Diarrhea symptoms are marked by loose stools with lots of water and and frequency of stools. The color of the liquid stools vary from light brown to green. Additionally, there may be flecks of blood, mucus, or partially digested food in the bowel movement. Fortunately, in many cases, diarrhoea symptoms are short-lived or responds pretty well to a number of well-tried remedies.

Causes of Diarrhea Symptoms

Most diarrhea symptoms come about because of viral infections of the intestines and stomach (gastroenteritis). Infection inflames and irritates the intestines, reducing its ability to absorb food and liquids. It may secrete water, becomes overactive, and tends to pass its contents through and out of the body more rapidly than normal.

As there is no exact cure for viral diseases (therefore, for most cases of diarrhoea), health professionals usually focus on treating the effects of diarrhoea, especially dehydration, rather than the ailment itself. It is important to note that viral gastroenteritis is not accompanied by blood or pus in the stool, and seldom causes fever.

Acute diarrhea can also come from bacterial infections, which are transmitted in your food, from animals, and from other humans as well. Other causes are parasitic infections, food and toxin poisoning, chemical poisoning, and gastrointestinal allergy. Bacteria produce toxins that cause food poisoning. These toxins may be produced in the food before it is eaten, or afterwards in the intestine.

If you travel to a foreign country, you may also suffer from traveller’s diarrhea, caused by a strain of E. coli in the various foods they eat. It may be the way that the food is not hygienically prepared. You get diarrhea symptoms, abdominal cramps and nausea and this may ruin your holiday.

Diarrhea Treatment

When you get diarrhea, you tend to lose electrolytes due to the massive loss of body fluids. Fluids are lost through the frequent bowel movements and vomiting, if any. Hence a diarrhea treatment is essential in helping you gain back electrolytes.

Electrolytes are important in body metabolism and other functions so they must be replaced. Sodium and potassium are the common minerals lost, along with chloride and bicarbonates in smaller quantities.

Your doctor will advise you to consume plenty of liquids, called oral rehydration solutions, to help you replace elecrolytes. Glucose is also necessary for triggering the small intestine to start absorbing the liquids and minerals.

To help reduce loss of water and for diarrhea treatment , your doctor may advise you to take Bowtrol Colon Control and Bowtrol Probiotic, which promote absorption of water, and anti-motility drugs, which relaxes the muscles of the intestines and slows the flow of water giving more time for absorption.